The Halfblood
by Alex Cinderella Kitsune
Summary: Halfbloods, people born with both Pokemon and human DNA. Powerful, outcasts, and rarely leading normal lives, some do their best to join society, some search for meaning by working for the government. When one abandons his old life in search of a new beginning, shadows from his past refuse to let him go so easily. Honor and love, betrayal and suspense; who will stand in the end?
1. Chapter 1

Just for the record, I might have rights to this original story, but the Pokemon idea/franchise is not mine in the least.

(Author's Note)

=Character thought=

"Human Speech"

_'Telepathy between characters'_

{Pokemon Speech}

example: "Ni nine tai tails ninetails ine?" is what a human would hear.

{What do you mean you can't understand me?} is what other Pokemon, and certain humans would hear.

|| * * * | | | * * * || = End Chapter

/ / = Major scene change

* * * = Scene Change

Chapter 1:

The mountains of Afghanistan stood tall, imposing, cold, deep in the north of the country. In defiance of this all, almost two dozen merchants had set up a bustling early-morning market amongst the mostly ruined buildings of a town whose name had been long forgotten.

People were chatting with each other in Farsi, Russian, Pashto, and Arabic, and many more dialects. Merchants hawked their goods to the surprisingly large numbers of passerby. The odd snowflake or two drifted down from the overcast sky, although no one paid them or the cool wind much mind.

Two men holding AK-47's were clearing a path for the larger group coming behind them, pushing people out of the way if they hadn't moved yet. As they approached, the activity at each stall in turn quieted. There were seven men in total: the two leading the way and four surrounding a tall, imposing, and intimidating man in the middle.

The intimidating man stopped at the occasional stall. He was tall, broad chested, and carried himself with an air that nothing could touch him. When he stopped, the men around him stopped as well. As he looked at the goods, taking off his dark sunglasses at one point, the six men around him took positions to best defend him.

Following behind the group, a single man watched and waited. From the shadow of a vendor, he looked as if he was inspecting the goods on the stall. The merchant whispered in hushed Farsi. "You are new here?" The man gave a small nod, encouraging the man to keep speaking, "That was Muhammed Alla'wa. Local warlord." The merchant kept his voice down, "There are none who would dare to cross him in these parts. I suggest you avoid him if you value your life." He glanced around with nervous eyes, afraid that another might hear him.

For the first time the other man spoke, "What else should I know about him?" He spoke in perfect Farsi, his accent indistinguishable from how the merchant was speaking.

"Not much. Knowing to much around here gets you in trouble," the merchant responded. "Now," raising his voice, "are you going to buy that necklace? Or just stare at it all day? I can give you a very good deal on it." He said, putting on his best haggling face.

The person simply set the simple silver chain he was holding back down on the table and walked away, ignoring the scowl the merchant gave him. Moving to the next stall, watching as the merchant hawked some foodstuffs, the man stared blankly. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the procession continue.

Slipping into an alley, he broke into a trot to make it back to the intersection on the other side of the building before the group moved on. Reaching the edge of the alley, he paused, staring out into the street.

The group was still several stalls down from where he was standing at the end of the alley. He gave an almost imperceptible sigh of relief, seeing that there was a path for him to get close. Another sigh of relief managed to find its way out when he saw exactly who it was that was guarding the warlord.

Slipping out into the street, he seemed to blend into the dull sand-stone wall. The two men who were supposed to clear the way only gave him a glance and a nod as they walked by.

Right on cue, a merchant directly opposite the stalker in the shadows asked, in a timid voice, asked. "S-sir, would you like to t-take a look at some of my fine..." he cleared his throat nervously "...finer wares?"

The warlord stopped and walked to the stall, thinking that it was his presence that was making the merchant nervous. The merchant nervously pattered on about how fine his wares were and other seemingly meaningless talk that merchants say when they are trying to make a sale.

The man in the shadows gave a slow nod to one of those standing guard around the warlord. Returning the nod, a guard made a motion to the others in the group, and all four stepped away from their charge, taking their fingers of the triggers of their weapons.

With a clear path, the one who'd been following the warlord knelt down, lifting the hem of his flowing male garb to reveal a military boot. He pulled a seven inch single-edge knife from its hidden sheath. The blade had a wicked serrated edge running up a 1/4 of its length from the hilt. Gripping it by the synthetic handle, he watched, breathing in slow, regular breaths.

With the blade in his right hand, he waited until the warlord's attention to his surroundings faltered. With blinding speed he dashed/jumped across the 5 meter road, bringing his knife back. His face held no emotion. No fear. No anger. No love for the kill.

None save the guards had time to react. But they didn't, acting as if nothing was wrong. The warlord was left completely unaware of his impending doom.

Time seemed to slow, almost stop even, as the blade neared its destination. Suddenly, the man saw his life pass in a series of confusing, jumbled images.

**_A young child, no more than 4 or 5, was playing with a Growlithe, laughing and rolling around. He heard a voice call for him, saying it was time for dinner._**

**_An older version of the child, 10 or 11 years old, was out in the woods. This time though, he was playing with an Arcainine. He was laughing when the oversized dog rolled on top of him, licking him happily._**

**_His home was burning, his family killed. He had done everything he could to save them, but it had not been enough. Through his tears, he heard sirens approaching. He did not want to face the authorities, fearing they would take him in as a freak of nature. He ran, as he had so many times before, through the woods. This time though, he was alone. _**

As it always was when he made a kill, time slowed but never stopped. He grabbed the warlord's head with his left hand to hold him still, as his right brought the knife between the warlords ribs and into the man's heart. The coppery smell of blood filled the air as he pulled his knife out, twisting the already lifeless body around.

All of this transpired in no more than two seconds, but now people were staring to react. Several merchants yelled, and dived under their stalls. Women screamed, causing children to cry, and men grabbed their loved ones and covered them.

The assassin was already running down the rough road, almost at the edge of town, before the guards started shooting in his general direction, puffs of dirt flying up from where the bullets struck the ground. Some of them were ringing from where they hit the walls, leaving deep gouges. None of them came anywhere near him.

A grim smile crossed the assassin's face as he ran, almost becoming a blur, as if he was a Pokemon almost. Gracefully, he made his way down the side of the mountain, sometimes falling up to 5 meters before landing with bent knees. He covered several kilometers of rough terrain like this before he finally came to a large cave.

Slowing down, he cautiously approached the cave, his eyes flickering side-to-side. Walking into the cavern, he closed his eyes. The shoulder-length hair on the back of his head stood out, as if he had been hit with electricity. The strangest part though, was when a glowing aqua-marine blue seemed to materialize around him.

The truth was, this man was not fully human. An offspring of a highly taboo act, he was one in half-a-million chance; a human, sired by a Pokemon. Many of his powers and traits had become available, or more pronounced, to him when he hit adolescence. One of these was the famed Aura sight. Through rigorous personal training, he was as adapt at it as some of the greatest of Lucario warriors.

Looking around, the world covered in a strange blue light, he searched for other people. Content that he was alone in the cave, he walked to a 'boulder.' Grabbing the seemingly heavy rock, it bunched up in his hands like cloth. Giving a sharp tug the cloth fell away, revealing a Humvee covered in desert-camo.

The shoulder-length hair on his head fell back down and the blue color faded from his eyes. Ripping off his blood-covered local garb, revealing a simple black tee-shirt and his military leggings and boots. He hopped into the vehicle, started the diesel engine, and drove down the rocky road without a single glance behind back.

For hours, he drove south, the rough, rocky mountains soon giving way to soft rolling hills and then eventually to the barren, sandy desert that stretched farther than the eye could see.

The hum of the diesel engine was his only companion, no other sounds breaking the almost contemplative silence.

With a glance at the dash, he saw the fuel gauge hovering near -E,- and he gave a deep sigh as he slowed down the Humvee. Killing the engine with a flick of his hand on the key, he opened the door and lightly jumped down and out onto the fine sand that the Middle East is famous for.

Stepping into the blazing late-afternoon sun, he stretched, bringing his arms up over his head, clasping his hands together at the top, seeming to pull his body as he he loosened his muscles. He then bent over, stretching his calves and lower back, muscles slightly sore from sitting the last several hours. Standing up straight again, he looked into the distance. He saw nothing though, save the mountains behind him and to the north.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he opened the back door and grabbed a canister filled with diesel. Quickly popping the cap, he set the plastic jug up at the entrance to the fuel tank, he tipped the jug up, diesel pouring out. It took several minutes, but when he was done filling up the tank, he casually threw the empty canister into the back seat again, sighing slightly.

Without missing a beat, the assassin reached into a large bag that was resting on the backseat, pulling out a bottle of water. Taking a large swig of the sweet nectar, he sighed in relief before looking around, bottle resting in his hands as they hovered by his waist.

The man stood completely still for several minutes, admiring and reveling in the quiet offered by the desert. Letting his mind wander, he started to feel the world around him. The harsh sun slowly setting in the distance, the calm wind that stirred the dust of the desert, the lukewarm water bottle in his hands all lending to a sense of isolation. One that he almost preferred.

"Well, might as well get going," he said sadly to the empty desert, speaking English with a light New England accent. With a smooth pirouette on his left foot so he was facing the Humvee once more, he threw the bottle into the back again, closing the door with a thud. Climbing back into the driver's seat, letting out a quiet sigh, he settled down to drive off again.

Closing the door behind him, he turned the key, listening as the ignition faltered instead of starting. His brow furrowed some and he turned the key again, a mumbled curse directed at the vehicle leaving him. This time, _click click cliVROOM!,_ and a relieved smile crossed the assassin's face as the engine roared to life beneath him.

Shifting the gears and working the clutch, as most military vehicles are still standard transmission, he started driving back on down the empty desert, mind empty once more as he focused on getting back to where he started. His tracks, the only trace he had ever been there, were soon swept away by the constant blowing winds, leaving the desert as perfect as it had been before.

Night had fallen completely now, and he was still driving down the lonely desert. He was not the kind to fall asleep when he was doing something, due to his training. Although, no doubt, the Pokemon blood flowing through his veins gave him greater endurance than most average humans.

His hair was once again standing, although it was hardly noticeable. Nothing though, not even the brown contacts he wore, could hide the faint blue light coming from them. The only reason he had the headlights on was that he didn't feel like being shot by the U.S. military.

He gave a sharp laugh and shook his head at the thought. "Yeah, that would not be a great way to end my career." Looking back at the road, he continued to talk to himself, "I can see it now," he took his left hand off the steering wheel and made a right-to-left sweep with his hand, "'U.S. agent shot by own military comrades. Government Investigates'." He laughed at the thought that he would make the New York Times headlines. "Oh yeah," still chuckling, "like that 'ill ever happen."

Talking to one's self though was not his favorite pastime, as silence slowly took hold. Very soon, the only sound in the Humvee was the hum of the diesel engine as he drove over the barren desert, even more so in the dark of night.

Off in the distance though, there soon was a light. A light that made the driver give a relaxed sigh as it came into sight. Because he knew that they were coming from one of the U.S. military bases.

The base perimeter was 6 miles in diameter, with double staked barbed-wire-barricades. There were only two entrances onto the base, one on the south side, one on the north, where the assassin was driving from. Most of the base was dark, except for the gates, the periodic watchtower along the perimeter, and a handful of command-and-control tents.

With a glance down at the clock on the dash, set to military time, he quietly read out, "0045. Damn, it's late." Most people would at least be tired after seeing the time. He had the uncanny knack for being able to stay up for days at a time though, without the use of coffee. A very useful trait at times, particularly when on a long-term mission; he was just grateful that this had not been one of those.

As he pulled up, one of the soldiers at the gate held up his hand in an order to stop. Without hesitation, man slowed down his vehicle and rolled down his window, a smile gracing his face.

"Evening sir," the soldier said as he approached, shining a flashlight into the vehicle that temporarily blinded the driver. "You're out late tonight," he continued in a slightly serious tone.

With a sheepish grin, the black-haried man just shrugged slightly, giving a small chuckle "ehh, I know. I just want to get in and hit the sack."

The soldier gave a chuckle himself as well, his demeanor on alert but relaxed. "Yeah, I bet," he said, his voice becoming a bit more serious, "but you should know the regulations. No one is allowed onto the base by car after 2245 or before 0500, without express orders."

At that, the man in the car reached into the back seat and reached for his bag, causing the soldier to take a step back out of instinct, hand resting on his rifle as he watched in suspicion. Meanwhile, rummaging through his bag, the driver soon said, "ah, here it is," bringing out a file in his grasp.

Looking back up, he then handed the paperwork to the soldier, who took the file and opened it, his shoulders still tense. Reading the papers over several times, the soldier promptly handed them back to the man in the vehicle and nodded slightly. "Well, you know the procedure. Pop the hood, and step out of the vehicle."

Nodding his head, the man hopped out of the Humvee. One of the three soldiers stood by the man while the others visually inspected the vehicle. After a a minute or so, the one who had stopped him gave a whistle. At his call came a Houndoom, wagging his tail happily, glancing curiously at the man who had been driving the car. The soldier knelt down, scratching the black dog behind the ears, "Alright, I need you to give the car a once-over, make sure there aren't any explosives and such."

"Hound," the black dog affirmed with a nod and hopped into the car without a care in the world. Sniffing around furiously, he jammed his snout into the crakes of the seats, under the seats, everywhere that a bomb could be hidden. Meanwhile, the driver made idle chat with one of the soldiers that was standing next to him, passing the time as he waited for the team to finish their inspection. Not even a minute later, the black dog jumped out of the car and looked up at the the soldier. "Doom," he said, shaking his head.

"Well, everything checks out," the first soldier said with a nod, allowing the man to get back into the Humvee, "sorry about the delay." The soldier then gave a signal to the gatehouse, and the gates opened with a soft clink-clink of metal. "Have a nice night sir."

"Thank you, you too." The man said with a small wave, putting the vehicle into gear and driving onto the base.

Entering the base, he drove down the dimly lit roads, towards the motor pool, hopping out of the car one he got there. Looking looked around, wondering slightly where everyone was, until he saw a mechanic wearing a tan shirt and light-sandy colored pants, walking toward him from the back of the depot.

"Can I help you?" The mechanic asked, wiping some oil from his hands with a rag.

With a nod, the man tapped the Humvee twice, saying "yes, I signed this out two days ago, and I just came to sign it back in."

The mechanic gave a sigh and gestured to the garage. "Just drive it on in. I'll take care of the paperwork."

"Thank you so much, running on zero sleep for 36 hours is not fun," he said with a sighing chuckle, jumping back into the Humvee and starting her back up.

At that, the mechanic gave a deep laugh, pointing as he said "I heard that."

Once the Humvee was in place, he man grabbed his bag out of the back seat, swinging and sliding out of the car again. Turning to the mechanic with a smile, he shouldered the bag as he gave a slight nod towards the vehicle, "I've been driving her for almost 16 hours straight, so take it easy on her?"

The mechanic gave a long, low whistle, shaking his head at that "damn, man. You need to take easy on these girls. You piss her off, then I have to calm her back down again."

The man gave another laugh, his demeanor as easy-going as the mechanic's, "yeah, well. This is the last time I'm taking one of these fine girls out for a spin." The man said, giving a couple of loving pats to the hood of the Humvee.

With a look of envy, the mechanic grinned widely and pointed, saying "you lucky dog. You going back stateside?" Almost in an accusatory way, joking though as well.

The man nodded, giving a sly wink as he didn't answer at all. Simply turning on his heel, he walked away, the mechanic yelling after him, "come on man. Tell me how you got that deal? ahh.. whatever. I'll just ... go back to working on the vehicles, as that's all I ever do around here."

That made the man smile as he made his way through the dimly lit paths of the base, this time on foot. There was no one out in the cool night air other than him, despite his constant searching with ears and eyes. He knew that what the mechanic had said was true, he was lucky to be heading stateside.

Soon enough though, he was standing in front of a command tent at the heart of the base. The semi-permanent structure had been tacked down securely enough that no light shone out, except for the entrance. Flanking the door there stood two soldiers, both armed with M4's, looking alert despite the fact it was the wee hours of the morning.

As the man came closer and into the red-light, they both gave him a small salute. Nodding back to them in acknowledgment, he pushed the flap aside and strode in.

On the inside, unlike what the outside suggested, there was a bustle of activity. Soldiers sat at computer screens, occasionally with a higher ranking officer leaning over their shoulder, as information was processed. The clacking of keyboards might have been the loudest sound, but the murmur of activity as information came in pervaded the air.

The agent casually walked through this room, none of the soldiers paying him any attention save a single glance, heading towards a map room in the back. In the map room, a Lieutenant General stood over a map table, with a Brigadier Generals on either side of him. The most interesting thing that drew the assassin's attention was the map, one of the new virtual three-dimensional maps. The two Brigadier Generals were both talking as they pointed to different positions on the map, "...with information showing a potential build-up of insurgents here," the General on the far left pointed to another location, "and here." When his hand passed through the virtual landscape, the image flicked ever so slightly in the man's wake.

As the General on the far left pointed to a second location, the one on the far right spoke up, "Unfortunately, a lack of reliable ground intel will prevent authorization on this second location," the second Brigadier General said, leaning back and scratching the morning stubble his chin with his left hand.

The Lieutenant General continued to lean over the map, dark brown eyes flicking over it, both hands on the edge of the table supporting him. He glanced up to see the man standing in the shadows and giving him a tiny nod, the General quickly returned his full attention to the map.

"Washington will have our heads either way," he said, standing up. "We hit them without verifiable intel, we piss off the locals," sighing, he brought his hand up to the back of his balding head and rubbed it. "We go in with solid intel, they might not be there by the time we mobilize." He gave a deep sigh as he stared at the map, deep in thought. "We have them on the run. Verify the intel, if they aren't there by the time our troops get there... Well there will always be a second chance. I don't want any mistakes... not now. Not on our way outa here" He turned away from the map to the two Brigadier Generals, clasping his hands behind his back, "Those are my orders, dismissed."

"General," the two men responded with salutes, snapping to attention. They gathered up their papers and walked out of the map room, both of them discussing various things that they would need to do.

Waiting patiently, the assassin was leaning against one of the supporting pole's that held up the tent, arms crossed over his chest. The General gave a weary sigh as he sat down, reaching for his now-cold cup of coffee, almost ignoring the man in the corner. He stared at it briefly before reaching to his belt, grabbing a red-and-white ball off of it. Giving the center button a click, the device expanded to the size of a softball. Pressing a second button, it opened revealing a beam of red light. Very quickly, the beam took shape, a three foot orangish lizard, with a flame burning on the end of her tail stood in the map room now, her amber eyes filled with happiness as she looked up at the General, giving a soft "Charmeleon," raising a claw in imitation to a wave.

The General gave it a pat on the head, a weary smile on his face. "Hey Ruby, my girl." The Charmeleon gave a soft _purr_ like growl from the attention, leaning her head into his caressing touches. "I hate to bother you with something like this," he reached towards his cup, lifting it up, "would please heat this up?"

With an amused look, the Charmeleon reached up and took the cup from him, almost giggling under her breath. Holding it with one of her two clawed hands, she brought her tail around, bringing the flame under the cup, slowly warming the liquid.

For the man though, he'd finally had enough, stepping out of the shadows. Moving closer to the table, whose virtual map had been turned off, he pulled up a chair and sat down across from the general, watching silently. "General," he said after a moment, bringing said man's attention back to his guest.

"Ah, Jayden, sorry about that. Haven't been able to sleep lately," he said as way of an apology, giving a helpless shrug of his shoulders.

"It's fine Shaun." Jayden said, his face lightening up slightly, "I know not everyone can stay awake for weeks at a time." When he said that, both he and the general chuckled at the in-joke, old times passing by their minds.

"Char," the orange lizard suddenly interrupted them, handing the cup back to the general, still smiling widely.

"Thanks Ruby," the General said, taking a sip of the now hot coffee, sighing happily. Then, leaning back and looking at Jayden, the General made no move to say or do anything else.

Silence ruled for several seconds, before Jayden started, taking the invitation "it's done. He won't be a problem anymore." The General nodded at this, allowing Jayden to continue, "But you know the real reason I came here this morning." The strange blue returned to his eyes, unnerving the General slightly.

General Shaun's eye twitched ever so slightly, before he gave a deep sigh. Setting down his cup on a side table he looked at Jayden, "so you really plan on going through with it?" To which, Jayden only nodded. The General sighed again as he tried his best to persuade Jayden, "and what makes you think they'll let you go? You are a danger to them out there." As he spoke, he reached under the table and pulled out a file, "and the terms you've demanded," the General just shook his head, "I doubt they'll accept them."

Jayden's face held no reaction the whole time the General had spoken, bidding his time. When he did speak, it was clear and even toned, "they'll accept the terms, because they know they don't want me as an enemy. Plus, even they know better than to try and get rid of me, with what I know," that last phrase, Jayden's eyes narrowing slightly, gauging the General's reaction.

The Brigadier General sighed deeply at this, and brought his left hand to his temple. Rubbing it while looking at the papers before him, both sat in silence, Jayden looking at Shaun, Shaun at the paper, the Charmeleon watching both of them curiously.

"Fine." the General said, snapping off the word. "I'll sign it." When he did so, he handed it over to Jayden, not with a smile, sadness in his eyes. "We'll be much weaker without you," he said, a hint of something almost like sorrow tinging his voice.

Jayden just laughed softly, standing up from his chair, "you'll be fine. If I know you, you'll find a way without me." Looking over the file briefly, Jayden made to walk out, turning on his foot as he faced the door.

Before he could move though, the General stood up as well, and offered his hand. Pausing, Jayden looked at the offered hand before grasping it tightly, shaking hands with his old friend. With a nod, the General smiled sadly as he quietly spoke, "Godspeed Jayden."

Jayden smiled at that, now feeling a true sense of sadness, "and to you General." With that, he released the General's hand, turning and walking straight out of the tent and back into the night air. Hefting the bag on his shoulder again, he walked to his building on the far side of the base, mind deep in though. Entering the abode, he silently set his bag down, laying out on the bed and passing out as soon as he closed his eyes, never having changed out of his clothing.

The morning came just a few short hours later, bright sunlight and the bustle of military activity as the base came to life was more than enough to wake Jayden. Looking out of the window, a luxury on a military base, he watched as soldiers went about their business, taking care of weapons and equipment.

Going into the private shower, he knew he only had ten minutes of water before it was cut off for the day, so he set about with a purpose. Turning the faucet, he started to shower, scrubbing the grime of sand and dirt off of himself. Just a few minutes later, he stepped out of the shower, looking in the mirror at his bedraggled face. With a cocked grin, he took a pair of scissors, and started lopping off his long hair, quickly shortening and making him look far more civilized, as well as more professional. Reaching and taking ahold of the razor, he also shaved, until his skin was smooth.

Tapping the mirror, smiling as he looked a different man, he stepped out of the tiny bathroom, having dressed quickly before leaving. Hearing a rustling next to him, Jayden quickly turned out of instinct, until he saw the cause of the noise. That's when a true, unadulterated smile formed on his mouth, the man quickly going to one knee.

Out of a pile of clothing popped a small, jackal-esque blue head, two bright ruby eyes blinking sleep away. When she saw the man though, a bright smile crossed her face, and she squealed with glee, leaping towards him. "JAY!" She shouted, clothes flying from her bound, arms wrapping around the man's neck and pulling him into a powerful hug.

With a heartfelt laugh, gladly returning her tight hug, the man sighed contently, letting her nuzzle his chin and cheek. Holding each other, they stayed there for a couple of seconds, until, sadly, Jayden leaned back a little, "my little Aura," he said, leaning in to rub his nose with hers "soon we'll be able to leave."

She leaned her face back, her eyes the size of dinner plates as she looked at him. "You..you mean...?" She was speechless at what he told her. He just nodded at her unasked question. Silently she dived her muzzle back into his shirt, to shocked to do anything else. He just held her while she silently cried tears of joy, almost radiating about her as her powers slowly took visible shape.

Jayden then gently pushed her back just a touch, so he could talk to her more directly. She looked up at him with questioning eyes, and he started speaking quietly, "there's just a few details I have to work out." She looked at him sadly, and he quickly continued, "I won't even have to leave the base. It'll just take me getting to my boss, some quick negotiation, and back here. An hour, two tops." Her eyes started watering again and he held her close, enjoying the comfort she brought him, knowing that soon, she'd never have to cry again.

Well, I hope you all enjoyed, i know I love this story ^.^ and not just because i wrote it either *chuckles* Anywho, please leave a comment on this story for any reason, criticisms accepted and welcome ^.^


	2. Chapter 2

(Author's Note)

=Character thought=

"Human Speech"

_'Telepathy between characters'_

{Pokemon Speech}

example: "Ni nine tai tales ninetales ine?" is what a human would hear.

{What do you mean you can't understand me?} is what other Pokemon, and certain humans would hear.

double solid line = End Chapter

the solid line = Major scene change

- - - = Scene Change

Chapter 2:

The military base was abustle with activity now that the sun was starting to rise. The eastern horizon awash with wondrous purples, bright oranges, vivid blood-reds, even a glimmer of a light jade-green.

Jayden stood outside of a tent that was remarkably similar to the command-and-control tent he had the meeting with the general in, observing it for a moment through slightly narrowed eyes. Only one man, leaning back in a chair so that only the two back legs were touching, seemed to be on guard. To a casual observer the man, dressed in black cargo-pants and wearing a Kevlar vest, was fast asleep.

To Jayden though, it was obvious that the man was highly trained and armed. In his mind, several scenarios ran on how best to take the guard out. All the while Jayden slowly walked towards the entrance.

As Jayden approached, the guard picked up his head from his chest, and glanced Jayden over from over the rim of his sunglasses. Giving a noncommittal grunt, he shrugged and pointed with his thumb towards the door. Jayden nodded cooly and opened the door.

A blast of cold air hit him as soon as the door opened; a sharp contrast to the growing heat from the early morning sun. Inside, several men were sitting around, chatting, all of them wearing Kevlar vests and black sunglasses covering their eyes. All conversation stopped when they saw Jayden.

They all stared at Jayden as he strode by them, some of them giving him sneers. One tapped the guy next to him whispering something, making the other give a small laugh. Jayden ignored all of them as he walked to the back of the building. Opening a door, Jayden took a short breath and walked in, leaving the door ajar as he entered.

A single man sat at a desk, scribbling something on the papers before him. Without looking up, "Close the door would you?" He spoke in a high tenor, low alto, voice that was very crisp. Jayden did so, cutting off the view for the others in the building. All the while, the man behind the desk continued to write, sometimes looking at his computer screen, but otherwise ignored Jayden, who continued to stand there.

Several tense minutes passed until, finally, the man behind the desk spoke. "So, I have heard you want to leave the Agency." His head stayed down the whole time, never looking up at Jayden. "And not only do you want to leave, you want to be _payed_ to leave." His voice, filled with incredulity.

Stopping his writing, and setting down his pen down, he looked up at Jayden for the first time, "What in hell's name do you think gives you the right to demand this?"

Jayden stood there, staring the suit down. The man's left eye twitched with the suppressed rage he had. A deep sigh suddenly escaped him, and his voice became softer, "what the hell you doing Jay? You're making a target of yourself."

Jayden closed his eyes, remembering all the arguments he had. When he opened them again, he spoke, "The reason I want to leave is personal. I just can't do this anymore."

"Ohhh, well isn't that great," the man interrupted, sarcasm lacing his voice, "our greatest blade has decided to grow a soul." The man pushed his chair back, papers rustling to the ground. He circled around the desk, standing in front of Jayden. "You belong to the Agency," The man now had a finger in Jayden's face, "and nothing can change that." As he said that, the finger pressed Jayden's chest.

Faster than a blink of an eye, the man's arm was twisted behind him as he was pushed to his knees. Jayden bent the suit's arm further, causing the man to grunt in pain. Calmly leaning down to speak into the man's ear, Jayden hissed, "I don't belong to anyone, Agent Johnson." Johnson struggled to break the grasp, but it was as if his captor's hands were made of steel.

"Stop and listen before you hurt yourself." Jayden growled into the man's ear. The effect was immediate as the man, fear in his eyes, looked behind his shoulder as much as he could. "Good." Jayden said as he released the agent. "This is a taste of what I can do. So here is what _you_ are going to do." Jayden reached into a pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, holding it in his hand while speaking. "You will sign me as released of all obligations to the Agency. You will sign the amount I told before over to the accounts that are on here." He leaned in close to the agent, who was now backed against the wall as Jayden had been stalking forward with each word. "But most importantly, you will sign me as untouchable."

The man started sputtering, "Bu-bu-but, wh-why should I?"

Jayden gave a cool smile and knelt down to see the man eye-to-eye. "Because I have it in place that your base of operations will burn and all of your funds will disappear. I know your bosses wouldn't like that, now would they?"

Johnson's eyes grew wide in terror as the realization of what he had been in control of dawned on him, and just how easily this weapon could, would, turn on its former masters. He just nodded dumbly, wobbling over to the computer. When he reached his seat, he slumped down and started clacking on the keyboard until a form came up. Entering his password, Jhonson soon gained access to the Agency's database.

Jayden was hovering over his shoulder as the agent entered the search parameters, -Jayden, Afghanistan- Johnson clacked a few more keys, and the symbol next to his name went from -active- to -decommissioned- Jayden smiled as the agent's fingers trembled over the keys.

Entering a few more keywords, a confirmation message came up -transfer funds? Y/N- Johnson's hands shook as he hit -Y- A second later, lines of data rolled onto the screen, until the message -transfer complete- came up.

Jayden gave the agent a pat on the shoulder. "You did the Agency proud today. And you saved it from a horrible demise." He turned as the printer spat out a paper. Grabbing it, he walked out of the room, leaving a shaken Agent Johnson sitting there.

He gave a cordial nod to the others in the first room as he walked out. The others glared at him, muttering amongst themselves.

Stepping out into the sunlight, he paused. He held his arms out and breathed deep the sandy air. He smiled as he took his first breaths as a free man, a sweeter breath he had never taken before. With a renewed jump in his step, he headed to his quarters.

Aura was waiting for Jayden to return, siting on the steps just outside of their quarters. Bouncing with barely contained excitement, she kept peering down the road of the base.

As she sat there, a couple of soldiers walked by, chatting about what they planned on doing when they got home. When Aura saw them, she jumped up and bounded over to them.

The two stopped in midstride, one of them going down to a knee as he gave her head a rub. She smiled up at them, almsot barking, "Hi Kriss," her tail wagging hard and still bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Haha, hey Aura," the soldier said, now scratching behind her ears. "What are you up to out here?" He asked, looking around, pausing in his scratching.

Aura gave a giggle, and while looking up at him with her round, red eyes, "I'm waiting for Jay to get back."

Right as she said that, the second spoke, "Well speak of the devil." Taking a step towards Jayden, he grasped his arm and gave him a short man-hug. "How ya doing Jay?"

Jayden gave a laugh as he returned the gesture, "Not half bad, Ramieraz." Taking a half-step back, "What about you two? You guys usually aren't on this side of base."

The two soldiers glanced at each other. Kriss spoke while standing up, "We heard from the motor pool that some guy got a lucky ticket. We figured, that there is only one guy on base who could get a deal like that."

Jayden gave a small sigh, "Yeah, that would be me." He gave a laugh, "I forgot how fast scuttlebutt travels on base."

Ramieraz spoke in a stern voice, "Scuttlebutt is a Marine term. We're the Army." His brown eyes were filled with humor, "But I suppose we can forgive you... this time."

"Well, we have to get back, otherwise our C-O 'ill have our heads," Kriss said. Bending back down, Aura gave him a hug and the soldier returned the hug, "We're gonna miss you girl." Aura giggled and gave him a small kiss on the check.

Standing up again, Kriss gave Jayden a firm handshake. Turning to Ramieraz, he gestured with his head back the way they had came, and they walked away. Before they got out of range, Jayden hollered, "You two keep out of trouble! I don't feel like coming back here to bail you guys out!" Kriss just raised his hand in a wave, shoulders moving from his laughter.

Jayden chuckled to himself before turning to the Riolu. She beamed up at him, growling playfully as she jumped into his arms again. Jayden closed his arms around her, holding her tight.

Suddenly a bright light flooded the area, the weight in Jayden's arms growing. Despite this, he never released her, ignoring his instinct to drop her and back up. A couple of nearby soldiers stopped what they were doing to watch the spectacle, murmering to each other. As the light dimmed, the sun didn't seem quite so bad as it did before.

Jayden finally let up on his hug, and took a half-step back. Strong, yet soft arms released him as well. Looking at him, now standing at chest level to Jayden, two crimson eyes glimmered in the late-morning sun. The now distinctly jackal face had a shy smile on it, the silvery knobs on her hands were now full-grown spikes, and the gold ring around her neck was gone, in its place light-golder fur now covered her torso, surrounding a single spike that covered her heart. Her long, fox-like ears twitched slightly as her body adapted to the new sensations: her hightened hearing, sensative sense of smell, and even the aura around here all becoming more acute.

To Jayden, her light-blue fur was more captivating than the finest sapphire, her eyes more valuable than any ruby. When she spoke, her voice was still feminine, but it was more mature sounding. Much more soothing to Jayden, "I just evolved, didn't I?" She asked in a quiet voice.

Jayden beamed, and scooped her up in a hug, twirling her around before setting her back down. "haha! Yes you did, Aura. Yes you did!" He said jubilantly.

A couple of the soldiers gave cheers and small whistles, some even taking a picture or two. The small crowd soon dispersed, leaving the two standing there. Jayden gave her a look, "Everything is done, and I think you deserve something for evolving."

She just smiled and shook her head a little. Jayden looked at her quizzically, but before he could speak, "All I want," her smile grew even softer, "is to be with you." With those words, Jayden, for the first time in years, let a single tear drop out of his eye. Aura smiled, and brought a paw up to wipe the tear away.

With that, Jayden and Aura left Afghanistan. They made a brief stopover in Alexandria before continuing onto Dublin. From there, it was a straight shot to the United States and a chance to begin their lives anew.

* * *

A week of travel later, passing through major airports all over Europe and the Middle East, and soon the two found themselves in a whole new place.

New York City. The Big Apple. A city of a thousand-and-one dreams. It was here that Jayden and Aura had decided to stay for the time being, as they figured what to do with themselves.

The second, perhaps more important, reason they were in New York was so Jayden could move the money he had gotten into some more secure assets. Just in case the Agency decided to go back on its promise and try to bring back into the fold.

Jayden wasn't going to do that until they were at the hotel, and Aura was fast asleep. He didn't want to worry her.

As Jayden watched her, he could feel the peace and happiness she was exuding as it came over their bond. She was staring in wonder at the world around her, never having seen such a large city before. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open as she stared up at the towing skyscrapers and the throngs of people and Pokemon.

"How do like the city?" Jayden asked with a smirk on his face. Aura was dumbfounded, and could only nod enthusiastically with a goofy grin on her face. Jayden gave a laugh, rubbing her shoulder as he walked next to her. She leaned into the hug a touch, before she caught a nigh-heavenly scent. Sniffing the air, Aura suddenly broke off down the street, weaving in and out of the pedestrian traffic, leaving Jayden to yelp and head off after her.

She stopped in front of a hot dog cart, sniffing it intently. Jayden came up a few seconds later, and laughed when he saw the bit of drool coming out of her mouth. Turning to the vendor, he held up two fingers, "Two please."

"Yep, you got it. Two dogs coming right up." The vendor said, grabbing two buns with one hand while maneuvering the tongs with the other. Handing both to Jayden, he and the vendor exchanged glances as Aura took hers and ate it, seeming to melt with pleasure.

"Ah, first time?" The Indian vendor asked. Jayden nodded, and the vendor laughed again, dishing out another dog. When Jayden made to pay him though, the vendor waved him off, "This one's on the house." He handed the second hot dog to Aura, who just gave a broad grin as she dug into it.

The two walked down the road, hugging the buildings to avoid the worst of the traffic. Although Aura drew a couple of glances, they were generally ignored as people went about their lives. Soon enough, they came upon Times Square.

Aura was once again dumbstruck as her head pivoted in every direction. The electronic billboards, the hardly controlled chaos, the sheer number of people, all of these played to her sense of wonder. She fixed her gaze on Jayden who was laughing along with her.

Scooting through the crowds, they made their way into one of the large stores. Inside, there was everything a Pokemon trainer would ever need. Tents of all sizes, sleeping bags of every shape, home gyms ranging from a simple dumbbell set up to a massive whole room set, summer clothing, winter clothing, fishing poles, knives of all kinds. There were beauty sets for every type and kind of Pokemon, oils for scales and fur, brushes, and cosmetics, all ranged on one side of the store. Jayden scoffed, as this was just the first floor.

Jayden took into account that there were four other levels. He gave a low whistle, and Aura looked at him. He motioned to the store, "Five levels in total. Everyday goods here on the first floor." Pointing to a sign, "The rest scattered over the remaining floors." Jayden gave a short laugh, "This place makes Goldenrod's department store look like a mom-and-pop place."

Jayden took a glance at the watch on his right wrist. Taking his eyes off of the watch, he looked to Aura. "Well," he grabbed a satchel, the kind that goes over the shoulder and hangs by the waist, and a bag; a small toss later and they were both in Aura's hands. She looked quizzically at him, and Jayden explained. "I'll get the essentials of what we'll need. You go and get whatever you want, as long as they fit into those bags."

Aura's mouth hung open in disbelief for a moment. Snapping it shut, she gave a vigorous nod. " 'Kay. When are we meeting back up?"

Jayden closed his eyes, and tipped his head to the side a touch, making Aura geve a small chuckle at the odd habit. "How about twenty minutes?" Aura nodded and Jayden continued speaking, "Alright, stay out of trouble." With that, Aura went off to explore the store.

Jayden watched her go off, when he felt someone watching him. Snapping around, he saw a man dressed in blue-jeans and a simple grey tee walking towards him, a Houndoom trotting next to him. Jayden gave the man a quick glance, and determined he wasn't a threat, despite the knife the man had strapped to his belt, yet hidden under the hem of his shirt.

As Jayden made to walk on, the man called out to him. Reluctantly, Jayden turned to face him. The man spoke with a slight New Zealand accent, " 'ey, was that your Lucario?" He stopped two steps away, and the Houndoom had an embarrassed look on his face.

Jayden gave a slow nod, and the man's face light up. "Well, I guess that..." he paused when he saw the slightly disapproving look on Jayden's face. He cracked up at this, before turning to his Houndoom, "Well, Feral, guess you won't be getting any today." The man laughed as the Houndoom tried to bury his head in between his paws. The man turned back, an ear-to-ear smile on his face, "Thanks bro, we needed a good laugh. C'mon Feral, let's get some food."

With that, the Houndoom eagerly ran ahead while his trainer started, soon running behind him, "Oi! Feral! Wait up ya bugger!" They left behind a slightly confused Jayden, who just stared after them.

Jayden just shook his head, mumbling "Damned New Zealanders, they're crazy. Throw New York into the mix..." The thought was so much, it just made him whistle. Sighing, he picked up a decent sized backpack and slung it over his shoulder, "Well, time to get a move on." The incident soon left his mind as he went around gathering various items he thought he and Aura would need.

He got several boxes and canned goods, things that wouldn't spoil quickly. Then he grabbed a collapsable fishing pole, and a pocket sized tackle box. A compass, maps, flashlights, batteries: things that he would need if anything ever happened. Jayden sighed as he looked over what he had gotten, "guess it's going to take awhile for habits to die," he whispered to himself.

As he walked down the escalator, fifteen minutes already having passed by, he spotted a jewelry counter. An idea popped into his head, and he gave a smile as he thought at what Aura's reaction would be. Standing by the counter, the bag over his shoulder, he looked at the goods within the glass case.

A young woman came over, a pleasant smile on her face, "Can I help you find anything?"

Jayden nodded, "uhm, yes actually," he looked at her name tag, "Trish." He pointed at the necklaces, "Can these be made so they can survive a Pokemon battle?"

Trish smiled, "Of course they can." She fondled with her keys, "what setting would you like?"

Jayden thought for a moment, as he looked over the various settings. "This one," pointing to a silver setting, that had two arms delicately draping around where a gem would sit.

"Okay," she made a mark on a note pad. "And what kind of gem would you like?" She handed him a catalogue filled with pictures and prices of various precious stones.

He looked over the pictures, flipping from page to page. Soon he was flipping between pictures of ruby's and the sapphire's. He settled on a page and pointed, "this one please."

The clerk smiled and said, "ah, yes. A crimson ruby. A beautiful choice." She glanced down as she made a second mark. She looked back at Jayden and asked, "Is there a specific time frame you need it by?"

Jayden thought before asking, "What is the soonest it can be ready?"

"An hour. Although it will be somewhat expensive." Trish said, sounding like she was trying to convince him to wait some.

"Alright, I'll see you in an hour than." Jayden smiled as the clerk handed him his receipt. He turned and walked away, a small skip in his step. The clerk gave herself a small chuckle and moved on to her next customer.

All the while, Aura was marveling at the size and sheer variety available in the store. She was lucky that many people were used to Pokemon being sent on errands, or someone might have attempted to capture her.

She was looking over various products, wondering at what they did. Her eyes glanced over the labels, and she gave a small thanks that Jayden had thought to teach her to read.

She felt something bonk her on the back of the head, and she turned around quickly while dropping into a battle stance. In front of her stood a young boy, no more than 10 or 11, arm outstretched. He had a look on his face that shouted determination, and he yelled, "You're mine Lucario!"

Aura sighed, remembering what Jayden had said.

* * *

(flashback to just after Aura had evolved)

Jayden was kneeling, a odd baseball looking device in his hands. It had a red top and white bottom, with two buttons in the center.

"Now that you've evolved, and I'm free to leave, I don't want to lose you." Jayden was saying, while Aura cocked her head inquisitively. She she sniffed at the odd contraption, while he continued, "All you have to do is press this button and wait a couple of seconds." He smiled softly, "It will only last a moment. But we do this, and no one else can capture you, and separate us."

That was all the motivation she needed. Aura reached towards the device and pressed the center button. Out rushed a beam of red light, engulfing her. She struggled for a moment before she remembered what Jayden had said. She calmed herself, using something she had learned from her...=no=...she closed that memory off, refusing to go back down that path.

A sudden rush came over her, and the red light returned. Just a few seconds later and her vision was back. She glanced around with a confused look before she spotted Jayden. He smiled and picked her up in an affectionate hug. She nuzzled him back as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Jayden, whispering, "now nothing can separate us, little one."

* * *

"Boy, stop." Aura said in a firm tone. With that, she turned back to the shelf, thinking it was settled.

The boy was not only undeterred, but encouraged as he shouted "Oh yeah! He can talk to!"

Aura's eye twitched at the use of the wrong gender, but she took several deep breaths to calm herself. Turning back, she saw him reaching for his waistband. She caught a glimmer of a miniaturized Pokeball on his belt. "Now boy," she was starting to get aggravated, "I already have a partner. Now run along before you, or your team gets hurt."

The boy ignored her as he clicked the ball and shouted, "Come on out... HEY!" A hand grabbed him by the wrist, and Aura smiled as she saw who it was that stopped the boy.

Jayden lifted his arm, picking up the boy by the wrist. When the boy was eye to eye with him, "What do you think you're doing?" The boy was squirming in the unrelenting gasp as he tried to free himself. "Well? Explain why you were about to, very obviously, attempt to capture an already captured Pokemon?"

The boy stopped squirming as he stared into the strange blue coming out Jayden's brown eyes. A shout came from behind the two, and all three looked. "What are you doing to my son?" Jayden quickly dropped the boy and took a step back. The boy's mother came up and was checking her boy franticly before turning an accusatory glare to Jayden. Standing up, she got right in his face, "Well? Explain yourself, you ass!"

Jayden didn't respond to her, instead looking at the boy. "Next time, think before attempting to capture a Pokemon that isn't obviously wild." Turning around, ignoring the sputtering woman, "Aura, you okay?" Aura gave a small nod, and Jayden gave a sigh of relief, "good. Now than, you hungry?" Aura nodded enthusiastically causing Jayden to laugh. "Well than, let's get some food," and gestured with his head towards the direction of the food court.

The two walked off, leaving a now crying boy while his mother tried to soothe him.

The two jumped into an elevator, catching a ride to the top floor. As they stepped out, Aura's eyes once again almost fell out of her head. Her nose was filled with smells, her ears assaulted by the sounds of the top floor.

Jayden started walking, pausing for half a moment for Aura to follow. When she did, he started explaining, "This food court connects to half-a-dozen other stores." He pointed to a causeway, "That leads over Times Square to the other side of the road. It's helpful in preventing traffic jams and a general reduction of foot traffic." =And makes a good escape route he thought to himself,= but he shook his head again. He was no longer that man, if he could help it.

All the while they were still walking, and that's when Aura noticed a large pink-and-white entrance on the far side of the food court. Pointing, "Is that a Pokemon Center?" she asked curiously. She was surprised at how quickly she was getting used to the throngs of people and Pokemon, and the general chaos that is the city.

Jayden nodded, "Yep. As little as I doubt my medical skills, I want to make sure that there is nothing physically wrong with you." She looked down at herself as Jayden continued, "Plus I need a couple of things. A Pokedex, a room for a night or two." He looked at her and saw her looking at herself. Jayden started laughing, and Aura looked up at him. He wiped a tear from his eye, "I highly doubt anything is wrong. If anything, things will be to right."

She cocked her head at this, trying to puzzle it out. She just sighed and shook her head, "English is such a strange language at times."

The doors to the Pokemon Center opened as Jayden said, "That it is, Aura. That it is."

"Hello there, and welcome to the Times Square Pokemon Center," said the Nurse Joy behind the counter, giving a small bow. Aura glanced at Jayden, who just shrugged his shoulders. "How can I help you this day," her pleasant smile was odd for a reason that Jayden just couldn't place.

"ummm, yeeahh," Jayden cleared his throat, "I need to register for a Pokedex."

"Very well sir," she clacked on her computer's keyboard a couple of times. Looking at him, "Do you have one reserved?"

"Yes," Jayden said as he leaned in an almost imperceptible amount, "under 'Jayden,' J-A-Y-D-E-N."

The nurse clacked her keyboard as she entered his name. "Last name?" She asked without looking up. Before Jayden could say anything, her computer went _ding!_ and she clicked a few more times. "odd," she mumbled. Shaking her head, she raised her voice back to normal, "Well, Jayden. It looks like there is already a Pokedex here registered in your name." She gave a small curtsy, "If you'll excuse me for a few minutes."

As she walked off into a back room, she stopped a Chansey, "Chansey watch the front desk for five?"

"Chan," the pink egg-shaped Pokemon said, saluting.

Aura sat down on one of the benches while Jayden looked over the maps and brochures that covered one of the walls. Aura decided to watch the people as they came and went out of the Pokemon Center. Most only had one or two Pokemon that needed treatment, some had whole teams.

A few minutes later, just like she had said, Nurse Joy came out and beckoned to Jayden. She went over some of the workings of the Pokedex, some of its more important functions, and how to bring up is trainer ID.

"So, now that that is settled, how about I give your Lucario a check-up?" the Nurse asked.

Jayden agreed, and turned to Aura, "Now this, hopefully won't take to long. She's just going to give you a look-over, make sure everything is where it should be and all that." He gave her a quick hug and a peck on her forehead, "I'll be here, and you'll be out in ten, fifteen minutes. Kay?" Aura nodded, took a deep breath, and walked into the back with Nurse Joy.

Jayden had to move quick. Looking at his watch, mumbling, "Jeez. This is why I don't like New York. Takes five minutes just to get to the second floor from the fifth." Now, though, he once again found himself in front of the jewelry counter.

The same clerk was there manning the counter. She smiled when she saw Jayden, "You have an amazing sense of timing." She reached under the counter, pulling out a small box. She placed it on the counter, opening it to show her customer. Jayden had seen the Crown Jewels of the British, handled the finest gems from the worst parts of Africa, and had enough gold in his possession at one time to make Fort Knox jealous.

Yet this necklace, a simple silver chain with a blood-crimson ruby set in it, was more beautiful to him than all of those. The clerk pointed to the setting, "The setting and chain are made with a special coating of Moon Stone dust. It gives the chain two very," she whispered, leaning in, "unique..." she blinked three times. Three, very deliberate, slow, blinks. "...properties."

Jayden raised an eyebrow, "Okay, I'll bite."

Trish leaned back, an amused look in her eyes, "First off, the Moon-dust protects and hardens the chain. Not the hottest of a Charizard's flame, nor the strongest of Aggron's can melt or break this chain. Plus," she held up a finger, "it has this wonderful ability to shine in the dark. But not so much that it'll draw...unwanted...attention."

Jayden nodded as he looked at the necklace. The female clerk continued, "Since you paid for this in advance, just show me the receipt and you can take this home." Jayden reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He took the receipt out and handed it to her. She gave it a cursory glance, scanned it with the bar-code reader, and handed it back. "There you go. I hope whoever the lucky person is realizes how lucky they are." She said with a smile.

He tipped two finger to his forehead in a semblance of a salute and walked away. He held the box containing the necklace close to his chest as he walked back up to the top floor. =I can't wait to see the look on her face,= he thought to himself, striding confidently across the food court towards the Pokemon Center.

* * *

So, hope that you once again enjoyed my work *smiles and gives a small bow* Pleasure to be posting stories once again, even if it's ones I've already had written up ^.^ Although this is getting me back in the mood of writing some...

anyhow, Pokemon isn't mine, story line and characters are mine, feel free to leave a comment ^.^


	3. Chapter 3

(Author's Note)

=Character thought=

"Human Speech"

_'Telepathy between characters'_

{Pokemon Speech}

Example: "Ni nine tai tales ninetales ine?" is what a human would hear.

{What do you mean you can't understand me?} is what other Pokemon, and certain humans would hear.

double solid line = End Chapter

the solid line = Major scene change

- - - = Scene Change

Chapter 3:

Aura was lying down on a table while Nurse Joy checking her. The pink-haired nurse patted down Aura's chest, arms, and legs; inspected her crimson eyes and her long-ears as well as having Aura stick out her tongue going "ahhh."

The Nurse took her stethoscope and placed it on the Lucario's chest. "Breath in," Aura did so, "and out," and Aura released her breath. They repeated that two more times on her back and three times on her front.

Than the Nurse picked up a blood-pressure cuff. "Now, if you'll just hold out your right arm and just relax." Aura did so, and the Nurse put it on. Pushing a button, the cuff started to constrict and Aura looked up nervously at the Nurse. "It's supposed to do that. It only takes twenty seconds."

Aura nodded and leaned back, using the breathing exercises that she had learned. _beep beep_ and the pressure relented. Taking a look, the Nurse wrote down the numbers on the cuff, nodding slightly. Setting aside her clipboard, she looked at Aura, "Just one more thing I need to check. Please lay on your back and spread your legs."

Aura gulped, blushing furiously. But she did as she was told. As the Nurse started checking her, Aura let her mind wander so she wouldn't die from embarrassment.

Jayden was walking towards the double-doors of the Pokemon Center, holding a box close to his chest. Right as the doors opened, someone came out, and the two bumped into each other. The other, a guy around 22-23 fell down, giving a small yelp. The Mienshao and Weavile trailing just behind him both giggled at their trainer's mishap.

Jayden had seen it coming at the last second and stepped to the side just enough to keep himself from falling. Taking another glance at the two Pokemon, Jayden noted that they had some odd colorations. The Mienshao's stripe along its waist was a dark red, not the usual light purple, and the Weavile's frill was a light violet, not the usual crimson red.

The Mienshao was laughing, holding a hand up to his mouth as he laughed. {Well Gavin, I told ya that you have ta watch where you're walking.}

Weavile joined in on the fun to, slightly taunting her trainer as well. {Yeah, Gavin. I thought you were the mighty trainer.}

"Karita, Clem," Gavin started, standing back up. "You two are insufferable," he said with a chuckle. Suddenly, he blinked, remembering the person he had run into, "Oh, man. I am so sorry."

Jayden, already in a good mood, laughed it off, as the interaction only made him smile. "Ah, it was as much my fault. Shoulda paid better attention." As he said that, he reached a hand to the trainer.

Gavin accepted the offered hand and with a heave, stood up. Dusting off his sweat-pants, Gavin looked at his two Pokemon. "Well come on you jokers. The Contest is going to start in thirty minutes, and there is no way we're losing this time."

{Right!} The two said at the same time.

Gavin turned back to Jayden, and held out his hand. "No hard feelings?"

Jayden pondered for a moment before taking the man's hand, "Nope, good luck on your contests." A smile graced his face, even while he was releasing his grip.

With a short wave, Gavin turned walk away. He started a little as he both them were already walking away. "Yo! Wait for me!" Shouting, Gavin sprinted to catch them. Jayden laughed, watching as the Mienshao did a backflip onto his trainer's head, and the Weavile fall into place by Gavin's side.

Jayden sighed with amusment, turning to face back towards the Pokemon Center. Shifting the weight of his bags a bit, he walked in, head moving from side to side as he looked for Aura. When he didn't see her, he sighed, moving over to sit down on a bench. Settling down, he started people watching (for those who don't know what this is, it's when you watch people as they go about their business, but don't interact with them directly).

Jayden dropped the bag on the ground in front of him, and started rummaging through it, looking for something to do while he waited. Muttering to himself, "where did I put it?" Jayden continued to look through his bag until he let out a small, "ahha." Pulling out a small touchpad, he whispered "now lets see what the news of the world is." With that he accessed the internet, searching various news sites.

He saw one article that caught his attention.

-Archeological Team Disappears in Indonesian Islands While on Research Dig-

Just as he was about to click the link he heard the back doors open. Looking up, he smiled and put the iPad back into his bag. Aura came out, followed by a smiling Nurse Joy.

"So, Aura," Jayden said, standing up, "what's the verdict?"

Aura gave a slightly bashful smile. Just as she was bout to say, the Nurse spoke up "She is a perfectly healthy Lucario." Jayden nodded, and held his hand to Aura. She took it and giving a tug, pulled him up. The Nurse smiled ath that and went on, "Just keep a healthy diet and make sure that she either fights or runs at least once a day, and she'll be healthy for a long time."

Jayden nodded again. That would not be a problem at all. "Anything else?"

Nurse Joy shook her head. "Nope. Now," she moved back behind the counter, "will you be needing a room?"

"Yes, please." Jayden said, grabbing his Pokedex.

Nodding, the Nurse typed on the keyboard. "Okay." She reached under the counter and brought out a key-card. "Here is your key. You are room 10-32." She wrote it down on a piece of paper and handed both to Jayden.

"Okay. Thank you." He handed Aura her bags while shouldering his own. With that they walked to the elevator. Stepping in, he pressed the 10th floor button. There were two other people in the elevator as well, one with a Starly on her shoulder and the other with a Flareon sitting next to him. With a lurch, the elevator started to move up.

Soon, the elevator stopped on the 8th floor, and as the doors opened the girl with the Starly stepped out. The doors closed, and the boy with the Flareon looked up at Jayden. Jayden gave him a glance and a nod before looking forward again.

The elevator started moving again and thirty seconds later there was another _ding_. Jayden slipped his thumb under the strap and walked out, Aura a half-step behind him. As the elevator closed, Aura glanced over her shoulder and saw something that made her eyes bulge, and stop mid-stride, watching as the elevator closed off her view.

Jayden stopped, looking over his shoulder at her, "What is it?"

Aura tilted her head, mouth hanging open. Blinking slowly, she turned back to Jayden, "ahem... nothing." Highly unconving, given her nervous smile.

Jayden tilted his head to the side slightly, and shrugged his shoulders, droping the subject. They both started walking down the hallway, even as Aura tried to figure out why a Flareon and its trainer were kissing so passionately.

She shook her head vigorously when they reached their room, watching as Jayden set his bag down, pulling out a key-card with his other hand. Swiping it through the lock, a green light accompanied by a small click appeared, and he turned the handle. With a slight shove, Jayden stepped in and instinct took over as he looked over the room from the doorway.

It was just an average hotel room, a small two-bed room with a bathroom and a counter. There was also a mini-fridge, that didn't have anything in it, nestled under the counter and a microwave on top. Even a small TV was mounted on the wall.

Jayden took a deep breath, and slowly let it out; suddenly, he walked in confidently, throwing his bag on one of the beds. Aura followed him in a few seconds later, setting her backpack on the other bed, and slipping the satchel over her head. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she looked over to Jayden, who was now leaning on the window frame, looking out over Times Square. Silently, she slid off the bed and padded over to stand next to him.

He glanced at her as she came over, soon returning his gaze back out the window. They were both silent for a long while, simply gazing out over the bustle of life on the streets below them. Jayden was the first to break it, "It's been five years since I was last in New York. Still as loud as ever," he said, giving a wry chuckle, "and still as strange as it was before." Pushing lightly against the wall, Jayden stepped back from the window. Following him with a turn of her head, Aura's ears perked slightly when he started to speak. "Well I'm going to see if the gym is still up. Wanna join me?"

Considering for a moment, Aura nodded enthusiasticly. "Sure," the Lucario said with a smile, watching as Jayden grabbed the key card.

" 'Kay, just give me a second to change." Grabbing a pair of shorts and a light tee-shirt, he slipped into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Aura looked back out the window, watching the crowds below her move around, almost everything seeming so small from where she was. When the bathroom door clicked open, she turned away from the window. Jayden stood there in a much more suitable outfit for a gym, knee-long shorts, a loose-fitting tee, and a pair of 'exercise socks' (They are ankle high socks that have grip pads on the bottom. They allow for a full freedom of motion, but provide the same protection as a pair of sneakers.)

Grinning, Jayden slipped the key into his pocket. "You ready?" He asked Aura, who a nodded happily. Opening the door, "Than we're off," and stepped out of the room, Aura following right after him. Jayden closed the door behind her, testing the handle a few times to make sure the lock had caught. Nodding to himself, Jeyden turned to Aura before tilting his head in the direction of the elevator.

As they both were walking towards it, Aura realized how empty the hall was. "Why is there no one here?" She asked, her voice getting Jayden's attention and making him look around.

He thought about it for a moment, "hmm," musing as he looked at his watch, mouth moving slightly, but nothing coming out as he did some fast math. "Well, right now it's an off-time. Probably in three or four hours these halls are going to be packed with trainers bedding down for the night." Aura nodded at the answer, knowing a little about what city night-life was like from the wonderful thing called the internet.

Just a moment later, they reached the elevator and Jayden pressed the call button. A minute or two of waiting later, there was a small _ding_ and the doors opened. The two stepped in, Jayden pressing the 15th floor button before stepping to the middle of the elevator next to Aura. The Lucario glanced at him questioningly, and he answered her, "There's an entire floor devoted to the gym. It has a lap pool, several boxing rings, and exercise equipment that either Pokemon or humans can use."

Aura's crimson eyes grew as he told her how expansive the gym was, before something clicked. "How do you know so much about..." She followed his finger to where he was pointing, her skin flushing red from embarrassment. A full, detailed description of the gym was printed on the side panel of the elevator. A few seconds later, the doors opened, and both of them stepped out. For the fourth or fifth time, she had lost count, Aura was speechless.

The elevators were near the center of the massive room; to the left, there was a twenty-five meter lap pool, eight lanes wide, with five of those lanes occupied by a water type of some sort. To the right of Aura and Jayden, there were five boxing-style arena's, three of them currently with matches going on. Straight in front of the elevator doors was almost every sort of training equipment imaginable; punching bags, weight lifts, and dozens of other items.

Most of the Pokemon had a trainer nearby, and a fair number of them were finial stag evolutions, although there were some younger trainers with lower stage evolutions as well.

As Aura looked, she even saw a padded area where a trainer and her Hitmonchan were having a match. The Hitmonchan was moving closer to his trainer, arms only a blur, but his trainer was dodging or deflecting every hit. Aura watched in fascination as the trainer grabbed one of the fighting-type's arms and pulled, throwing the Hitmonchan off balance. Following through, the trainer swiped with her legs, knocking the boxer onto his back.

Jayden snapped his fingers quietly to get Aura's attention, just as the trainer offered a hand to help her Pokemon back onto his feet, a smile on her face as she panted. Once he got Aura's attention, he led her to another padded area before starting some basic stretches. The two of them stretched for a few minutes, until their muscels were warmed up. Jayden then led Aura to an unoccupied ring, signing for a single fifteen minute time block. With that, he slipped under the rope into the ring, followed soon after by Aura.

Jayden crossed to the opposite side of the ring twisting his head side to side as he did so, while Aura leaned into the corner near her. Once they were both in position, he turned, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet. "We haven't had a chance to spar since you evolved," smiling, crouching a touch, "Let's see what you can do now."

Aura gave him a smirk, confident of her new abilities. In the back of her mind though, she had a feeling that he was still going to defeat her. She refused to let that intrude on her now though. Dropping into a battle pose, left arm behind her back and right facing Jayden, the spike facing down, confident smile gracing her face.

Smiling back, Jayden took two slow, deliberate, steps towards the center of the ring. Crouching ever so slightly again, he leaned his weight onto his front leg. Aura's eyes narrowed as he did that, and she jumped a couple of steps forward. As her right foot hit the ground, she pirouetted bringing her left leg to bear. Jayden ducked under the blow, bringing his arm to take out her bracing leg.

Aura jumped over his arm, twisting onto her hands and bouncing into the ropes. Jayden backed up before charging, bringing his hand, palm out, forward. The Lucario countered, deflecting his hand with her forearm, but his other hand did not stop, and she couldn't deflect it in time. As it contacted with her chest, Aura went stiff, and gasping, she collapsed, Jayden stepping back at the same time.

Slowly, Aura got to her knees, a couple of coughs escaping her as she looked up at him. "How did you do that?" With one hand bracing against the floor, Aura managed to pull herself up a little bit more.

Jayden stepped back towards her, offering a hand. Aura happily took it, and Jayden hefted her up with a slight grunt. Once she was on her feet again, he started to explain, "There's a pressure point," he put his hand on her chest, "here. Most Pokemon have it in the same general vicinity," Aura cocked her head at him, making Jayden laugh a little at the unspoken question, "Yeah, humans to."

"Now then," Jayden said, stepping back again, "you're faster, stronger." Aura smiled at the compliments, "With a little honeing, you'd be unstoppable." Aura was now blushing under her fur as Jayden continued complimenting her. "So, what do you say to a few more rounds?"

Aura grinned at him again, showing off her canines. "You're on," she said, dropping into another battle pose. This time, her left leg was facing towards Jayden, her right paw just barely touching the floor. With a graceful motion, she placed her left arm just above her waist, and her right straight out.

Jayden just crouched ever so slightly, shifting his weight from foot to foot. Smiling, he once again started to slowly advance. Just a heartbeat later, Aura jumped at him, bringing her leg around in a spin. Jayden ducked, but his eyes grew wide for a second, and he was forced to roll to the right to avoid her other leg as it came down. Coming out of his roll, Jayden faced the Lucario again, a proud smile on his face.

It didn't last long though, as Aura was already charging again. She brought her fist to bear, and he countered with his forearm. Back-and-forth they exchanged blows, neither giving ground nor getting the upper hand.

Aura then did a backflip, intent on catching Jayden under the jaw with her foot. Leaning back, Jayden reached out with a hand to catch her leg. When he caught it, he spun around, holding her by her leg and brought her face first into the floor of the ring.

Two slow breaths left Jayden as he calmed down his racing heartbeat. Bending down with concearn on his face, he placed a hand on her shoulder, "Aura? You all rig.. whoa!" Jayden was cut off mid-sentance as the Lucario twisted his arm behind him, climbing onto his back. Using the crook of her elbow, Aura put him in a choke hold, making Jayden give a grunt. With a small shout, he dropped his legs out from under him, landing on top of Aura with his full weight.

Hearing a grunt, he felt as she tightened her hold on him. Just when he started seeing black spots in his vision, she suddenly released him. Taking a couple of deep breaths, and leaning his head back, Jayden looked at Aura. He laughed when he saw that she was panting heavily, tongue hanging out of her mouth a touch as she did so. When Jayden saw that, he gave a heartfelt laugh.

Cocking her head to the side, even as he continued laughing, "What.. are you.. laughing about?" Was what she managed to get out in between pants.

Jayden gave a small cough before he answered her, "Looks like I'll have to start going all out." Suddnely he jumped up, bracing his hands on his knees. Holding out a hand to Aura, who gladly accepted it, Jayden gave a pull to help her up, "You've gotten much faster. Stronger too."

Aura gave a small barking laugh, "What. You've been taking it easy?" At his nod, she gave him a punch to the shoulder, as he laughed, "Well why would you do that?"

Jayden gave another laugh as he slipped out of the ring and walked over to the water fountain. After taking a long drink, he brought his head back up, stepping to the side to allow Aura a deep drink herself. While they were resting, a man, dressed in gym clothing, with a Hitmonlee walking next to him, approached the two. Giving a broad smile, "You two seem like you need a real workout." He suddenly struck a pose, flexing his muscles; the Hitmonlee grunted, shaking his head at his trainers antics.

Aura glanced at Jyaden, who gave a quiet laugh at the over-the-top antics that the muscle man was doing. Glancing back at Aura, he shrugged. "Up to you."

Aura, a vicious grin on her face, gave a sharp nod. Nodding back, Jayden turned to the trainer, smiling. "Sure. I even already have a ring."

"Alright. C'mon Bruce, let's show 'em what we can do," the muscle man said, giving his Hitmonlee a solid, but friendly, smack between the shoulders.

"Hit." Was the friendly reply, and the two started walking towards the ring.

Once they were out of earshot, Jayden turned to the Lucario. "You ready for this Aura?" He asked quietly, watching the other two as they got ready.

"Ha! They're just a couple of pushovers." Aura said, giving a small fist-pump.

"Right," Jayden said, rubbing Aura's head; she gave a playful nip at his hand. Pulling it back, laughing, "Hey, save that for the battle," making Aura giggle a little. With that the two walked over to the ring, where the other trainer was waiting. "So any rules?" Aura climbed into the ring, followed by Bruce as the trainers discussed the rules of the battle.

"Hmmm," the muscle man pondered for a moment, cupping his chin with a hand. "Physical attacks only. No elemental or special attacks." He grinned broadly, "A contest of strength."

Jayden grinned at that, knowing that this was going to be an interesting match. "Sounds good; and the wager?"

"Eh," the man gave a wave of his hand, "how about a low-wager match. Say...$15 to the winner?"

"Sounds good." Jayden put out his hand, ready to accept the deal. The other man grinned and took the offered hand, shaking it firmly.

Now that the details were worked out, the trainers took their respective positions by their Pokemon, outside the ring. The muscle man leaned near his Hitmonlee, giving him some last-second tips. Jayden did the same with Aura, "We got this?"

Aura grinned at him, nodding. "We got this."

Jayden nodded back, grinning. "Than lets do this," looking over at the other trainer, he called out, "You ready?"

"Oh yeah. We ready," the other trainer called back.

With that, the two Pokemon fell into battle positions, the Hitmonlee with his right leg forward ready to lash out, Aura taking the same position as earlier with one arm behind her back.

"Let's start this off Bruce. Mach kick!" The Hitmonlee jumped, leg straight out as he flew towards Aura.

"Dodge, than force palm," Jayden said in a calm voice. Aura grunted, jumping into the air and over the oncoming Pokemon. Landing behind the Hitmonlee, she wheeled around, her palm glowing white with power.

"Back kick!" With one leg still out, the Hitmonlee leaned forward to brace himself on the ropes. Pushing back his other leg connected with Aura's fist.

The two attacks met, and both were stopped in their tracks. "Back off and than close combat," Jayden said again.

Aura gave a backflip, landing on the far side of the ring. The other trainer called out "Mega kick!" With a battle yell, spinning around as he did so, the Hitmonlee charged, planting his left foot while bringing his right around in a roundhouse kick.

"Now, Aura!" With a grin, Aura dashed forward, another force palm powering up in her hands. As she brought in forward though, the Hitmonlee brought his leg down to parry her. Aura brought her arm up to clock the incoming blow, giving a small grunt when the hit connected.

Now the contest was getting interesting, and a small crowd gathered to watch the two Pokemon battle.

Back-and-forth the two fighting-types traded blows, Bruce with his feet, using his arms as balance, and Aura using a combination of arms and legs. Bruce brought his leg around again, intent on smashing his opponent over the head and again Aura dodged out of the way just as his leg went past her. Some more blows were traded as both tried to gain the upper hand.

Aura jumped back again, as did her foe; both breathing heavy as they waited for a new command. Then Jayden called out, "Quick attack, than pressure points!" Aura risked a glance at him before it clicked with her what he wanted her to do.

Smiling, she focused on her opponent again, and she hardly had time to gasp as she caught the foot coming for her face. Using her forearms, she was barely able to hold off the flurry of kicks coming at her. That is, until she saw a pattern to the attacks. As she parried each blow, she slowly slid her feet away from her, getting ready. The barrage lasted almost a minute, constant, continous attacks, before Aura made her move.

She suddenly caught an oncoming foot with her forearm, just as she had been doing. This time though, instead of blocking it away, she held it and brought her other palm into where the knee would be.

The Hitmonlee's eyes grew wide with pain as it tried to jump back. Aura pursued him, yelling as she brought her palm forward, slamming him square in the chest. The Hitmonlee leaned forward a touch, face leaning on Aura's shoulder, and letting out a long gasp. Whispering to Aura, {Damn. Guess I underestimated you,} and with that, the Kicking Pokemon fell back, arms splayed beside him.

Aura let out two long, slow breaths, her palm still hanging where she had connected with the Hitmonlee. Slowly, she let her hand fall back to her side as she stood up straight. A light applause started out amongst the crowd, and Aura turned in a circle smiling.

The other trainer slipped into the arena, Pokeball in hand. Leaning down, he whispered something in his Pokemon's ear, a smile on his face. The Hitmonlee brought up a shaky hand, closing it in a semblance of a thumbs-up. Nodding, the trainer clicked the ball to the Kicking Pokemon's head, engulfing him in light.

Jayden was getting a couple of congratulations from the spectators when the other trainer slipped out of the ring, walking over towards Jayden. With a broad smile, the man held out his hand and Jayden looked at it for a moment before grasping it with his. With his other hand, the man held up a twenty dollar bill. "Before you say anything, that was a damned fine match." The man gave him a toothy grin, "I'll bet you can give DeNerio a run for his money, especially if you have even one other member half as good as her."

Jayden accepted the money, but shook his head. "Aura here is all I need. And while I don't doubt we could challenge him, I have no desire to become a champion." Aura, who had come to stand next to him, nodded her head in agreement.

"Ah well. You ever change your mind, just show this to whoever is manning the desk at the Gym." He pulled out a card and handed it to Jayden. "Remember, tell 'em 'Gio sent ya.' Got it?" Jayden gave another nod. "Alright. Well," he gave a pat to his Pokeball, "best get Bruce here some treatment after what your girl did ta him. See ya around, yeah?" With that, Gio turned and walked towards the elevator, the doors closing behind him.

The crowd continued to congratulate Jayden and Aura on their victory, all the while Jayden trying to get towards teh Elevator. Finally managing to maneuver to the elevator, where he covertly pressed the call button, Jayden continued to make small talk with the crowd. When the doors opened though, "Well, as much as we would like to stay, we really should be going." That's when the crowd noticed the open doors, but when they tried to press in, Jayden hit the close door button.

Shutting, the doors closed n the crowds face, cutting off the sound. With a deep sigh Jayden leaned against the back wall of the elevator, "Now I remember why I avoided the city for five years." Aura giggled at that, bringing a paw up to her mouth. Looking over at her, he playfully asked, "and why is that funny?"

"Because," she gave another small giggle, "if you'd stayed in the city, we'd never have met."

Jayden blinked at that, grinning as her infectiously happy smile spread to him. "That is true, isn't it," looking up at the ceiling, "Guess I never thought of it like that." Aura grinned, glad to know she'd won that conversation.

When the elevator door opened again, both of them stepped out into the hallway. Soon enough, they reached their room, having not met another soul in the empty halls. Jayden paused at the door of their room, looking down the hall in both directions with narrowed eyes. Dipping his head down for a moment, closing his eyes, Aura watched with fascination as the flow of Aura around him magnified.

When he opened his eyes again, they shined with a inner blue light, and Jayden took another look around the hall. His eyes narrowed even further in suspicion, but there was nothing there. Not even in the other rooms. "For a city Pokecenter...it is very quiet." He took a glance at his watch, "There should be _someone _here at least. Especially at this time of night."

Aura started using her Aura-vision as well, the dreadlocks on the back of her head standing out. She too saw nothing. Not a single soul, other than Jadyen, was on their floor. "Perhaps we should keep a watch?" She asked, looking at Jayden.

He nodded, but didn't give an answer as he continued to study the empty hall. After a few moments, "...maybe I'm just being paranoid." Giving a deep sigh and turning back to Aura, he gave her a soft smile. "C'mon, lets head on in," opening the door, Jayden allowed her go in first. Jayden looked over the hallway one last time before he too stepped into the room.

Closing the door, he also latched the two secondary locks as well, just out of caution. When he heard the sheets rustle, he turned around, letting out a quiet chuckle at the sight before him. Aura had fallen on one of the beds, face-down, with her tongue hanging out and snoring contentedly. On silent feet, Jayden walked over to the side of the bed, softly pulling a sheet over her. A sleepy murmur left Aura, even though she was deep in sleep, and she cuddled the blanket tighter around her.

When he knew she was fast asleep, Jayden quickly wrote down a note. Setting it on the counter, where she would find it as soon as she woke up, he changed into a pair of dark-brown cargo pants and a dull black tee-shirt. He slipped into a black hoodie, made sure he had a pair of sunglasses on, and undid the latches to the room. He took one last glance at Aura's sleeping form, one hand resting on the doorframe. A sigh left him, and he walked out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

There was now a handful of trainers in the hallways, surprising Jayden again at how quickly something could change. Jamming his hands into his coat pockets, walking down the hall while hugging the wall, one or two of the trainers gave him a greeting, which Jayden politly returned. For the most part Jayden went unnoticed, even though a few of the Pokemon watched him, occasionally sniffing at him in curiousity as he passed by.

Boarding the elevator, Jayden was soon on the ground floor again, stepping out just as several trainers boarded. Jayden then made his way out of the building, onto the bustling night-time that is Times Square. Jayden took a deep breath, hands still buried in his pockets, before turning to walk towards Wall Street. The never-ending tide of people made Jayden once again hug the walls, hardly being noticed by people as they went about whatever they were doing.

He soon came to a bank, with a sign on the door, -Open 24 Hours-

Jayden took out a piece of paper and looked at it. Giving himself a nod, he pushed in through the revolving door. Inside, he took a half-second to glance up at the almost ludicrously high ceiling, shaking his head at the extravagance. Bringing his gaze back down, he continued walking up the empty staircase.

Only a single teller was open, a security guard standing nearby with his arms crossed in front of him, and a Growlithe sitting next to him. Jayden gave the guard a nod, and the guard gave a tip of his head back, his hands folding back in front of him. Not to be left out, the large Growlithe gave a happy bark, still sitting on his haunches.

Jayden waited in line for only a few minutes before he was called. Although it was not obvious, Jayden's face was never caught on any of the security cameras, always the side or top of his head. In a cheerful voice the teller, a young man, asked "What can I help you with today, sir?"

Jayden reached into an inside coat pocket, pulling out a file. Silently handing it to the teller, eye the guard as his hand traveled to the holstered gun by his waist. A look from the teller stopped the guard though. Opening the file, the teller looked over the top page briefly before he slipped the papers back into the folder, handing it back to Jayden.

Looking at the guard, the teller said, "Joe, I'll be back in five," closing his register as he did so.

"Got it," the guard said with a sigh and a nod. Moving to the front of the line, the guard pulled the rope closed.

The teller walked around the counter, motioning to Jayden. "If you'll follow me." With that, the teller walked off, leaving Jayden to follow. Giving another sigh, Jayden quickly fell into step behind the teller as they walked to the back of the bank.

Just a minute later, the teller said, "and here we are sir." They stopped in front of a door.

Giving three knocks, they waited for the reply from inside which promptly came. "Yes?"

"Your client is here sir," the teller said, hand on the doorknob, waiting.

"Ah, good. Send him in then." A short sneeze followed, "and bring me another tissue box."

The teller gave a weary sigh, but opened the door for Jayden. "Of course, just a minute."

Jayden walked in, the door closing behind him. In front of him sat a man, his well-made desk sitting proud, with various personal effects. "Welcome. Please, sit down while I pour us a drink," As the rather short, and somewhat large, but not fat, banker, dressed in his suit-and-tie walked to a cabinet.

Jayden closed his eyes, a headache threatening to form. He never had liked bankers...

* * *

I apologize fully for any errors in this particular chapter. I try to proofread as best I can, but I am only human (as much as I often wish otherwise) As before, Pokemon belongs to its owners, this story line and original characters are mine.  
Please, feel free to leave comments, reviews, corrections that I need to make ^.^


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